The Running Series Box Set: Books 1-3 Read online

  We dressed and quickly made our way to his office.

  Once there, he set up his ultrasound machine. While putting the cold gel on my bare skin was startling, nothing mattered if I could see my tiny little circle. I couldn’t control the tears that were still rolling down my face.

  His face showed his concern as he moved the wand around on my tummy. “Alexandra, I can’t see anything with my machine, but that doesn’t mean anything. It could just be because there isn’t enough fluid in your bladder. We’ll need to go to the ER to let them check you out completely, but stay calm, it is going to be okay. We aren’t going to lose the baby.”

  We made our way down to the ER, and Grayson went in first and spoke with the doctor and the nurses. They took me around to another room with an ultrasound machine, and this time, the wand they used was long and had a plastic cover over it… For all that was holy, that thing looked like a penis with a condom on it.

  When the technologist put it inside me, I could feel an uncomfortable pressure, but it wasn’t painful. Grayson held my hand the whole time as she pointed to the screen. The doctor and technologist discussed in medical terms what they thought. Finally, Grayson broke the tension.

  “Alexandra, you’re not having a miscarriage. This is simply something that happens early in pregnancy. It’s completely normal. You have nothing to worry about. Everything looks good, and it’s going to be fine, angel,” he promised as he kissed me.

  The rest of the staff stepped out, so I could dress and we could be alone. Then Grayson stepped out to talk with the doctor, and when he returned, I was lying there looking at a picture of the little circle on the screen, my baby, our baby, wondering it if was going to be a boy or a girl.

  On the way to the parking lot, Grayson kept my hand clasped tight in his. “Are you hungry at all? Because I am starving.”

  Great. He was going to spend this entire pregnancy trying to feed me. This was going to be a long nine months.

  Trying to make him happy, I answered, “Actually, yes I am. I’ll make us something when we get home.”

  “I had something else in mind. There’s this little hole in the wall that has the best waffles. Do you like waffles?” He looked like a little kid at that moment.

  “That sounds yummy!” I said with an eager smile. It actually didn’t sound like the worst thing I could eat at the moment, so we made our way to a tiny little dive for waffles. I was surprised how hungry I was, especially since the fried smell hit me as I walked in the door, threatening to send me sprinting for the nearest bathroom.

  We settled in and enjoyed our breakfast like we hadn’t eaten in days. Both of us were going to gain weight in this pregnancy, I was sure.

  In the car on the way home, Grayson was quiet. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

  “Care to share your thoughts?” I was curious where his mind was, since it apparently wasn’t with me in the car.

  “I was just thinking about the turn of the events. How they’re more than I could’ve ever hoped for.” He spoke quietly, almost reverently.

  “Grayson, I want so much for us to be a normal, happy little family. I want to be settled and soon, but I have to go back to Chicago to get my things. I also need to check in with Cooper and see what his plans will be now.” I could tell my words disappointed him. He wasn’t going to be happy to see me go back to Chicago.

  When we got back to my apartment, Cooper had finally gotten up and about and wanted to hear about our evening. “Finally, you two are on the right track, and I couldn’t be happier.” He shook Grayson’s hand and gave me a great big hug.

  We filled him in on the excitement from the morning, and Grayson reassured us both that things would be fine. I left them in the kitchen and went to get a shower. I had the water running and was just about to step in when the door opened and Grayson stuck his head in.

  “Want your privacy, or would you like some company?” I could tell he was trying not to overwhelm me.

  “I would love some company. You don’t have to treat me with kid gloves. Get in!” I dropped my towel suggestively, and he stumbled for a second, trying to get out of his jeans.

  He quickly undressed and jumped in. I didn’t think I could ever get tired of looking at him. I hoped our baby looked like him.

  As he kissed me, I could tell he was holding back. His hands weren’t all over me like before, like a craving he was trying to satisfy. Instead, he pulled back from his kiss and ran his finger down my nose and touched my lips. “I love you, Red.”

  After our shower, I asked Cooper to trim my hair for me, and Grayson was a bit shocked. “Alexandra, do you think this is a good idea? We can get you an appointment today to get your hair trimmed, if you like.”

  “Oh, Cooper does a great job, you’ll see.” We headed off to my bathroom for some updating on my hairstyle, after which Cooper took a few minutes to show me how to get a blown-dry bouncy style with the new layers.

  I could feel my energy coming back to me, and I didn’t know if it was the weight of our relationship lifting or the big breakfast, but I was finally feeling spunky. Sometimes just a little trim could give a girl a whole new attitude.

  “Cooper, I think you missed your calling. Her hair is fabulous!” Grayson called out appreciatively. “Honey, you look gorgeous!”

  I jumped up and ran to Grayson, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. I felt relieved he was here to take care of me.

  “I think tonight I feel like going out for dinner and dancing. Care to join me, Ms. Morrison?”

  “Why, I would love to, Dr. Brooks!” I said with a laugh, kissing him hard on the mouth. He gripped me so tightly I felt the fullness of him through his jeans.

  “You two need to get a room, and I need to go out for my run. Have fun!” Cooper was giving us a hard time, but I knew deep inside he was happy for me, even if maybe he was feeling a bit jealous.

  Lying with Grayson on the bed, I tried to be playful with him and taunt him romantically, but he still insisted on using what little restraint he had left, keeping his hands off of me for the most part.

  “Grayson, I won’t break. It’s okay for you to touch me. I could tell you were a little nervous in the shower. Please don’t shut me down when I’m still trying to get comfortable with all of this.”

  “Angel, I’m not going to risk the baby or your health. Just a few days of restraint and we should be in the clear. I could never live with myself for causing you to lose my son!”

  As he patted my tummy, I reminded him we could be having a daughter, but either was fine with me. He pulled me close to him, spooning me and holding me tight, while playing with my hair.

  “However, there are plenty of ways for us to pleasure each other, if you want to try, I will show you.” He went to put on some music and get some drinks, and I could hear “Turn of the Century” by Pete Yorn come over the intercom. The words of the song were dark, making me wonder if Grayson had been as destroyed as I had been over the last couple of weeks. It was a strange choice for him to put on.

  He made his way back from the kitchen with a couple of glasses of ice water and took a long drink. He took me in his arms and kissed me passionately as he slowly removed my T-shirt and jeans, leaving my bra and panties on for the moment. I removed his T-shirt, jeans and boxers, exposing his full, tight erection.

  Grayson took his hand and lifted my chin up to him. Taking possession of my mouth with his, exploring me with his tongue, he bit my lips, my chin, my neck as he removed my bra. Gently, he pushed me back on the bed and placed a path of kisses down to my breasts. He took his hand and cupped my right breast, biting and sucking on my nipple and the small curve of my breast before continuing to leave a trail of kisses down to my navel. He reached over and took an ice cube in his mouth and dribbled the cold water over my breasts and my navel, then filled my navel with cold water.

  It was so sensual I couldn’t help wiggling.

  “Be still, Alexandra. Trying not to spill the water
is part of controlling the excitement.”

  With my naval full of ice cold water, he continued to kiss further down as he very slowly slid my panties off without spilling the water. He then spread my legs, kissing and biting the insides of my thighs. As he made his way to exploring my inner channel, he took his fingers and pushed back my labia, exposing my clit, biting and sucking on me until I was wet and creamy. While he explored me, worshipping my body and tantalizing my sex, I couldn’t help but put my hands in his hair, trying hard not to spill the water.

  The tension and excitement were too much. I could feel the pressure from my arousal in his mouth, and I could feel my orgasm building. I began to whimper in complete satisfaction as I experienced an astonishing orgasm, leaving my body trembling and my pulse racing.

  Grayson kissed his way back up, sucking the rest of the water from my naval, before coming back up to my mouth. As he began to kiss my lips, he got another piece of ice and kissed the ice to me. As it melted, I could taste the sensual moisture from my climax, and we enjoyed it together. Tears began to roll from the corners of my eyes down my cheeks.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered in my ear as he sucked my lobe and found my tears with his lips.

  “Yes, I’m in heaven! I want you to show me how to pleasure you. Now it’s your turn.”

  As Bohren & Der Club of Gore’s “Nightwolf” began to play in the background, the sultry, sexually charged notes set the mood for me to explore Grayson’s body. I pushed him to his back and climbed on top of him. Taking an ice cube in my mouth, I began to let the water drip a trail down the hairline from his navel to his stiff shaft. While stroking his erection with my hand, I began to kiss the insides of his thighs. Licking him and sucking gently, I let him experience the coldness from the inside my mouth. I looked up, so I could watch the pleasure in his eyes through my eyelashes.

  Although quiet, I could see he was enjoying me and was fully aroused. He had his hands on the sides of my head, playing with my hair. I teased his tip with my tongue, before beginning to suck and stroke him in a slow rhythm. As I glanced at his face, his gaze said everything. He was definitely enjoying this.

  I sucked hard on the tip, and then took all of him into my mouth. Using my hands, I rubbed and stroked him with an in and out, twisting motion. He threw his head back and moaned. I could feel his length tighten and expand between my lips, and I knew he was close to climaxing. He called out my name as he groaned. As he began to lose control on my tongue, I could feel the warmth and taste the saltiness from his orgasm.

  “Don’t stop sucking me,” he gritted out.

  I continued to suck and swallow him until he pulled himself out of my mouth and raised us up on the bed, taking me in his arms and laying me on my back.

  “You are amazing,” he breathed at last, kissing me sweetly. “I am truly in awe of your body. You are my drug, and I am completely addicted to you. You feel so good, Alexandra!” He sucked his way down my neck, tracing my jaw with his tongue.

  He rolled onto his back and pulled me to his side, so I could lay my head on his chest. “You need to just lie beside me and behave, my sexed up little minx!”

  We were both still trying to catch our breath, completely sated from pleasuring each other. Experiencing this kind of sensuality was so new to me, and I was happy I could let myself go with him.

  Quietly snuggled together, I realized how much I was going to miss being with him every day for the next few weeks and tears began to stroll down my cheek. He must have felt the moisture on his chest. “Alexandra, please tell me those are happy tears.”

  I smiled. “Yes, love. They are the most happiest of tears,” I whispered with a yawn, and soon we were both asleep.

  When I woke up, it was getting dark and Grayson was no longer with me. I found him in the kitchen on my phone talking to someone. My heart stopped when I heard his voice echo from the kitchen. “Yes, Mr. Morrison, at least, that’s my plan.”

  Oh no, please don’t tell my dad about the baby! I wasn’t ready to go down that road.

  Too late, Grayson gave me a thumbs up when he saw me in the doorway, then handed the phone to me.

  “Hey Dad, how’s the cruise going?” I asked, going anywhere but to the subject at hand.

  “Never mind about the cruise, Alex, it’s fine. It would have been even better if I hadn’t had to find out from someone else that I’m going to be a grandfather!”

  I thought his words would have been stark and angry, and I was prepared to have to stomp my foot and declare that I’m a big girl who can take care of myself, but his tone of voice was dripping with pride.

  “I can’t believe it! I’m gonna be a grandpa! Or maybe I’ll just have him call me PawPaw!”

  I couldn’t help laughing. My dad and I hadn’t been that close in such a long time, but the way he had cared for me over the last few weeks showed he really was my daddy through all of it.

  “I wish I was there with you to congratulate you on your news. This is wonderful, my dear, I couldn’t be happier. You are giving me a wonderful grandbaby and a son-in-law. Please take the jet home tomorrow, get your things, and get back to Dallas to start your new life with Grayson. I couldn’t be happier, darling.” There was some noise in the background of the ship. “I have to run, sweetie, but I’ll see you in a few weeks, and we’ll all get together when Gretchen and I get home. I love you, Alexandra. I couldn’t be more thrilled for you!”

  “Thank you. I love you too, Daddy.” The phone clicked silent in my hand.

  “Grayson, did you call my dad and tell him everything?” I asked, trying to keep an accusing tone out of my voice.

  “No, Alexandra,” Grayson assured me. “He had called several times, and I finally answered it because you were sleeping. Are you angry with me? I just assumed you had told him already before coming to Dallas to let me know.”

  I could tell he was nervous, since he knew how I felt about keeping secrets. “Not exactly, but I would’ve liked for us to have discussed telling him. Whatever, he seems strangely okay with it. You’ve done something to win him over!” Glad that Daddy was happy with the news, I took a deep breath and could relax, but something he’d said caught me off guard.

  A new son-in-law?

  His plan! Daddy’s words made a little more sense when I realized Grayson must have asked my dad for permission to marry me. Oh, wow.

  We dressed for dinner, and Grayson drove us to Sambuca’s. We had a lovely table, and the band was doing a cover of “Tangled Up In You” by Staind. After placing our orders, Grayson led us to the dance floor to sway to the music.

  “I love you, Alexandra,” he whispered in my ear. His words were soft, but he knew I needed to hear them. He knew that by not sharing them before, he’d made me run from him.

  My mind was a maze of distracted thoughts, the weight of having to leave Grayson to go back to Chicago pressing on me. He wasn’t going to be thrilled that I had to return, and that my return would be straight back into his brother’s apartment. Of course, it would have been easier to just ignore Chicago and wrap myself in a cocoon of Grayson’s love and protection, but I owed it to my job to stick it out. I’d already arranged two important meetings to take place in Chicago that I really needed to be at. PMC had been so accommodating since my accident, and Drew had gone out on a limb to create a temporary position for me in Chicago, one that I truthfully only needed because my love life fell apart. I owed it to him to act like a professional and service the accounts I had just committed to. If I wasn’t there, Drew would have to pitch in for the meetings.

  I didn’t realize we had danced through several songs, but Grayson must have sensed something was on my mind, and he led us to our table and proceeded to grill me. “What’s got you so deep in thought?”

  “Oh, nothing serious. I promise,” I said with a charming smile. I tried to convince him I was being carefree, instead of planning an escape route.

  “Really? I can tell you’re thinking about something more serious. You get this
darling little frown when you’re working on an idea. Care to share, or are you going make me tickle you ‘til you come clean?” I could tell he was trying hard to be funny and playful, but it wasn’t working for him.

  “I need to return to Chicago tomorrow and finish my three-week commitment to the work-force plan Drew so graciously put together. Any hiccup to the plan is just going to draw questions. Please don’t—”

  Grayson held his hand up to stop me from continuing. “Is that all that’s got you worried?” he asked. “I knew you’d want to stick it out. Your commitment to people and to your obligations is just one of the things I love about you. So I’ll just travel up there on weekends and on the last weekend, we’ll go to your appointment with Dr. Creek and get your records. And then I’ll be there to help you bring your things home.”

  Home.

  Oh, I love this man. “I love you, Grayson, thank you for not putting up a fight. You’re being a pushover, though, I’m not used to that from you. What’s going on?” I couldn’t help but poke fun at him.

  “Oh, just to be clear, I’m not happy about it. I don’t want to miss a single day with you, but I can understand you have things you need to do. If you change your mind and want to come home, you just have to pick up the phone.” His eyes were sad and his voice was meek, as if he was losing something.

  “It’s only a few weeks, and it’s going to be as hard on me as it is on you. Dad and Gretchen will be back soon. It’ll be good for all of us to get together.” Suddenly, I was overcome by an all-out giggling fit, the kind I probably haven’t fallen victim to since the fourth grade. I even tried to sip some of my water to stop myself from laughing, but only succeeded in spilling some of it on my blouse.

  For his part, Grayson was certainly confused but enjoyed the spectacle with amusement reaching his eyes.

  “Something funny, Alexandra?” he said with an appreciative smile.

  All I could do was nod as I continued to laugh. Finally, I was able to catch my breath just enough to speak. “Gretchen is going to be a grandmother!”